The salt marshes are a menace to health and comfort because they are breeding places for mosquitoes. The counties are authorized by law to spend large sums of money for the purpose of destroying these pests.
GOVERNMENT AND EDUCATION
Government.—The Constitution of New Jersey divides the government into three departments,—legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislative department is vested in the legislature, which is composed of the senate and the general assembly. The senate is composed of one senator from each county, elected by the voters for three years. The general assembly is composed of sixty assemblymen apportioned among the counties according to population and elected by the voters for one year. The executive power is vested in the governor, who is elected for a term of three years. A person cannot be governor for two successive terms. The judicial power is vested in many courts, of which the principal are the court of errors and appeals, which is the highest court, court of chancery, supreme court, circuit court, and courts of common pleas or county courts. The judges are appointed by the governor with the approval of the senate.
State Capitol, Trenton
The principal state officers, besides the governor, are secretary of state, state treasurer, state comptroller, and attorney-general.
The state is divided into twenty-one counties, which are again divided into townships, cities, boroughs, and towns. Each of these has its own government, which is administered in accordance with laws passed by the legislature. The principal county officers besides the judge are sheriff, county clerk, surrogate, coroner, county collector, and members of the board of freeholders who are elected by vote of the people.
The counties maintain courthouses, penitentiaries, farms or homes for the aged poor, and may provide parental homes or detention homes for juvenile delinquents or juvenile witnesses.
The state is represented in the United States Congress by two senators and twelve representatives.
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